Harry Potter and The Challenge
by Mithrandras
Summary: AU When Nicolas Flamel approaches Dumbledore with his thief problem and the Headmaster proposes they hide the stone at Hogwarts, Flamel realizes that the son of Lily Potter, who should have become his next apprentice, will start at Hogwarts in has been some time since he and Perenelle have wanted to come out of their self-induced isolation.
1. The Challenge

**The Challenge**

 **Professors Flamel Challenge:**

 **Pairings/characters:** Nicolas/Perenelle, Harry/Daphne/Susan/Fleur, Hermione/Ginny/Luna, Neville/Hannah/Tracey

 **Summary:**

When Nicolas Flamel approaches Dumbledore with his thief problem and the Headmaster proposes they hide the stone at Hogwarts, Flamel realizes that the son of Lily Potter, who should have become his next apprentice, will start at Hogwarts in September.

It has been some time since he and Perenelle have wanted to come out of their self-induced isolation and he gets an idea that just might be to everyone's advantage.

He decides to accept hiding the stone at Hogwarts but with the condition that he and Perenelle come to the school as well and become professors for a short time (10 to 20 years).

The alchemist can teach Potions for years 1-7 and could propose an elective course on Alchemy for those students who are in their NEWTs years while his wife can teach the DADA course.

Dumbledore, unable to pass up such a golden opportunity, accepts it without thinking of what this decision could mean for the future.

 **Other details:**

The proposition must come before Quirrell can apply for the DADA post.

Both Flamel's find a way around the DADA curse.

They must also convince Dumbledore to finally replace Binn's, at which point, the Headmaster hires Lupin with an iron-clad contract.

Minerva must also be convinced to take an apprentice who can take some of her classes and lighten her workload.

It must be both Flamel's who introduce Harry to the magical world.

Hedwig must be more than a post owl and be a true familiar to Harry. He must also find a young griffin who becomes his second familiar and has to succeed in saving a young unicorn who becomes his third and final familiar. His wand will be upgraded each time to include a part of his familiars.

Nicolas and Perenelle become mentors for Harry, as well as both McGonagall and Flitwick. Harry must develop into an inventor/crafter, an alchemist (but not before sixth year) and a prodigy in DADA and Duelling. He can also have some mad scientist tendencies, but it is not mandatory.

Neville must become Harry's best friend and they form a group of friends with all of the ones listed above. Harry must also meet Fleur in the summer before his fourth year, she does not have to become his love interest but they must become close.

The Triwizard Tournament must be extended to include seven tasks, three balls and several competitions for those that are not Champions. Also, the entirety of the foreign schools have to come to Hogwarts, not just those that might become Champions.

Either Harry is not a Horcrux or you must find a way to quickly destroy it.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue:**

Harry stood face to face with his enemy, the person, no not a person, that monster!, that had prevented him from truly living for the past twenty years.

There was nothing left in this world for Harry but killing Voldemort once and for all.

For nearly all of his friends and colleges were dead, even the evil of the Dursley's were going cold in their graves.

"Neither can live whilst the other survives." The dark lord grinned, quoting the long dead seer, Sybill Trelawney.

"Let's just get this over with, snake face!"

Harry was twenty-one now, he had been living with the dark lord a thorn in Harry's insides of him for twenty years in mind, body and soul.

He wanted to be left alone; dead or alive.

With most of his friend's dead and the death eaters stronger than they had ever been Harry had very little to live for besides killing the monster in front of him.

He just longed to be with he's Friends and Family but didn't want to take the cowardly way out.

Oh Harry, where's the fun in that.

Harry cut him off with all he's hatred for Voldermort and his Death Eaters, and cast "Crucio."

Harry had long since allowed himself that these curses were against the law and that this man, no he corrected himself monster of a man and his followers – never played by the rules. So neither would he.

The ministry had fallen and even Azkaban itself was in ruins.

Voldemort and the Death Eaters used these curses and Harry could no longer afford the disadvantage.

Not after so much had already been lost; not to mention what was going to happen if he lost tonight.

Curses flew for what felt like hours but were in fact mere minutes.

Harry still hadn't used the darkest curse there was; however, he was very close to breaking now due to length of the magical duel.

Harry spotted an opening and with all his Hatred of Voldermort and he's follower's cast "Avada Kedavra."

The dark lord cursed back from behind his shield.

Harry had also cast a silent "Maxima Bombarda."

Curses flew left and left and Harry felt the weight of his exertion pulling at his very soul.

Until the "Avada Kedavra." curse hit Harry square on the chest unexpectedly.

Harry didn't feel the instant death that he had been waiting years for, Instead the curse blasted through the time turner that hung from his neck.

The gift he had been given years ago by Hermione Granger, the time turner nothing but screamed as he was pulled apart atom by atom.

It felt as his whole being was on fire.


	3. Earlier Years

**Chapter One:**

The morning of first of November first, one thousand, nine hundred and eighty-one, stood out in the mind of Petunia Dursley.

For several reasons it was the day that Albus Dumbledore ruined her life.

But one thing Petunia did have was brains.

She quickly learned that by being a tutor she could earn money of her own and get in with the crowd of people that she wished to associate with.

Petunia polished her manners and despaired about her looks.

Then she met Vernon Dursley. Vernon was a Rugby Player. He was from a solidly middle-class family and he had potential.

He wasn't the sort of handsome that would make him a target of the prettier girls nor was he very bleft, but he was trainable.

She tutored him to get his grades high enough that he could get into college on a rugby scholarship.

She also got an academic scholarship to the same college.

She figured out that Vernon had a talent to listen and be persuasive, she helped him choose a marketing and business degree and tutored him all through it and throughout college.

She accepted, he's Proposal to be engaged and then marriage and got wed during their third year at college.

Vernon graduated with his marketing degree and got a sales job at Grunnings Drill Company starting at the bottom.

Petunia graduated and found out just how useless a Catering degree could be when one didn't have connections and so started back to school to get a teaching credential.

And then she got pregnant, a baby boy they named Dudley after Vernon's deceased father.

When she was five months along, her and Lily's parents died in a strange car pile up on a motorway accident.

Her plans of a large close family were destroyed. Her parent's dead, her sister married to, well he may have been a lord but he was also a freak, and her sister in law was a lush living off the inheritance that by lefts should have been split between Vernon and Marge.

Petunia and Vernon were saddened by the loss of their only decent relatives, but were pleased that Petunia's parents had left her the house and Lilly the life insurance money because it helped them trim their expenses and save more.

The only drawback was it was an half an hour commute from Grunnings, longer if traffic was bad.

After Dudley was born and they had a year and a half of bliss.

Then the morning Sunday first of November, Petunia stepped out to get the milk and found a baby and a letter.

A letter that read:

To Mrs Petunia Dursley,

I regret to inform you that late Halloween night your sister and her husband were killed, by an evil wizard.

Your sister died protecting her son, because of this she invoked a very rare but very powerful protective magic.

Your nephew is the subject of a prophecy, and he has temporarily banished the evil wizard.

However, the evil wizard has many followers and I'm afraid the boy's godfather is under suspicion of having something to do with the deaths of the boy's parents.

In the interests of prolonging the protection from his mother, and in protecting him from the backlash these events are sure to cause, I have brought him to you to be raised and cared for.

The wards I have placed about your home will protect both him and your family from any in the magical world who wish to find and possibly harm you.

I know that you were hurt when I didn't allow you to come to Hogwarts with Lily, Petunia, but for the sake of the love you have for your sister please take her son into your home and raise him as if he was your own.

I will be in touch.

My condolences on your loss.

Sincerely

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. It's important that you never leave the wards for longer than two weeks.

One more request don't tell Harry about the magical world until he is older. It would come with far too many burdens for such a young child.

It was hard suddenly having two babies in the house, Petunia was thankful that at least Harry was smaller than Dudley because it meant they only had to buy a Cot, nappies and food.

As it was, the sudden increase in their expenses was unwelcome as they were unaccustomed to having another child to look after without extra funds to purchase items for the toddler.

Harry frightened her several times early on because he had a fear of open spaces and liked to hide in the cupboard under the stairs.

He was in general an easy-going child, he didn't get angry and cry if Dudley took a toy he was playing with and despite being younger and smaller he was very steady on his feet which meant she seldom had to carry him.

He was only difficult at night, being prone to night terrors as well as nightmares unknown to the Dursley's of his past and future.

Vernon resented the frequent disturbances during the night but agreed Harry was only a baby or toddler.

Vernon ignored Harry's presence as much as possible.

They decreased as young Harry got older.

Petunia kept quiet about the times when Harry used accidental magic to entertain Dudley and during the day kept that to herself as much as possible as she had experienced Lily's accidental magic when younger.

Things went on smoothly until one morning when Harry was impatient for his turn in the high chair.

He summoned the food from Petunia's hand to the floor where he was sitting, and accidentally broke the dish.

Vernon on seeing this scooped the boy from the floor and smacked his bottom several times.

Harry wailing, retreated to the cupboard under the stairs.

But Petunia always wondered how much of the conversation that followed Harry had heard and understood.

Petunia's shocked at Vernon's actions lasted until Harry had left the room.

"Vernon Dursley how dare you!"

"Petunia grabbed hold off of Vernon you do that to any of the youngesters again it will be the last thing you do!"

"Pet. Love! I won't have that freakish boy using it, to take Dudley's food and destroying things we've worked hard to pay for."

"From now on if he uses it, I say we punish him."

"I don't like him using it either, but he can't help it and he's a child. I'm sure he was just hungry and impatient. Breaking the dish was an accident, but it happens. Dudley's has broken dishes too."

"The boy is a burden!"

"The boy is our nephew!"

"Control him or I will."

"I resent every penny we pay providing that freak with food and nappies, and He could at least help you around here instead of taking advantage of us."

"He's only two and a half years old."

"We never asked for him, hell those bloody freaks left him on our doorstep because they didn't want the burden of caring for him either. I say again, control him Pet. or I will."

After that day Harry always waited his turn and he did his best to be helpful to Petunia.

He started toilet training a week later and mastered it straight away, it was Hard for Harry to pretend to be a normal two and a half years old.

She taught him how to dust low shelves for her and he helped put groceries away in the low cabinets and unloaded the silverware from the dishwasher.

He also helped her sort and fold the washing.

Even though Harry knew how to do these jobs he had to been shown first as not to scare them, The Dursley's.

When Harry was three things had mostly settled down in the Household.

Although Harry still had bad dreams they were no longer a nightly occurrence.

Vernon got a promotion to general sales manager and they had decided it was time to move to a larger home and to try for another baby.

Nothing happened, last time she got Pregnant, without any effort or planning.

Petunia had managed to break Dudley of his habits of hitting everyone while trying and get his own way and of destroying everything he touched.

But she couldn't get him to be considerate of Harry.

She suspected it had more to do with the disdain Vernon still held Harry in than anything else, and the fact it quietly pleased Vernon when Dudley was unkind to the smaller dark-haired boy.

They the Dursley's and Harry would be moving today it had all been arranged then Dumbledore waylaid all their plans and obliviated all knowledge of moving house and planted the suggestion that they should upgrade number Four.

Petunia almost cried as Vernon and Dudley insisted that they go shopping at B&Q DIY Store and refurbish Privet Drive.

"No Vernon we will consult an architect" Said Petunia.

That evening Vernon said to her "Pet, I've been thinking.

The boy still likes the cupboard under the stairs what if we cleaned it out, put what's there out in the shed, and made that his room.

We could use the mattress from his Cot, give him some hooks for his clothes. That way the smallest bedroom would be free to be a nursery."

Harry had been completely focused on his painting at preschool when the teacher and Dudley and two other boys, who would later become a part of Dudley's Gang, interrupted his attention and spoiled his finger painting and he got angry as he was going to give it to his aunt Petunia.

A moment later they were stuck to the ceiling, the whole class except for the assistant teacher who stepped out to do some filing.

Then assistant teacher frantically called Petunia on her Mobile.

Elsewhere alarms were going off at the Ministry of Magic. The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad came along with Albus Dumbledore.

Many things happened. The magic Harry did was reversed and the memories of those involved, but not Petunia, were modified.

Albus decided that Harry's magic was strong enough to be a ongoing problem, so without even asking Petunia's permission he placed a binding on Harry's magic that would slowly disintegrate when he was ten so he would be able to access his magic when he was eleven and heading to Hogwarts.

"How are things going Petunia?" Albus Dumbledore asked.

"Mrs. Dursley", if you please.

Life here at Privet Drive is rubbing along acceptably, it would be better if Vernon and I weren't experiencing difficulties getting pregnant."

The old man's blue eyes twinkled even as his voice took on an apologetic note.

"I'm sorry I must have forgotten to mention the wards have a side effect. You will be unable to have more children until after the wards fall when Harry is seventeen".

"Good day Petunia".

He said then apparated away. Harry standing beside her, somehow knew that what the old man said was very bad and that it somehow related to him.

He knew he was supposed to not remember but some, how he had blocked it, before the strange old man made him feels so strange and kind of sick it must have been because he was using his Occlumen's technique's.

The month's that followed were the worst of Harry's new life.

When his uncle was told of Harry's escapade with magic that day he was spanked and locked in his cupboard without supper for the first time.

His aunt let him out to use the bathroom at bedtime but otherwise didn't acknowledge him in any way.

The next morning his uncle let him out and said,

"Your freakishness has cost this family a lot, boy. So, you'd better start to contribute more to this household and lighten the burden on your aunt, understood?"

"Yes, sir".

"Oh, and after what you did at pre-school yesterday no more pre-school for you".

Terrified because he was sure he couldn't learn to control the strange things that happened around him, Harry gave the only answer he knew would satisfy his uncle

"Yes, sir."

Petunia went numb and ignored her nephew, and the unkind things her husband and son did to him for months until Harry's sixth birthday.

On that day, Dudley pushed him down the stairs and put Harry in the hospital. Harry injuries were bad so he was at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

Once she was reassured that Harry wasn't in any danger, she came home and gave Dudley the first and what she hoped would be the last spanking she ever had to give him.

She told Dudley that as long as Harry was recovering he would have to do everything around the house to help that Harry did and sleep in Harry's room, because Harry would need the space of his room while he recovered.

Also, that he was grounded and would have no TV, no computer and no toys.

Vernon tried to protest but Petunia shut him up by saying, I saw him deliberately push Harry down the stairs Vernon!

"I may not like the boy, but I will not allow our son to get away with attempting to murder his own cousin! Do you want Dudley to be the sort of person who grows up and gets sent to prison?"

"Of course not!"

"Then let me discipline Them in future!"

Vernon left it to her, he loved his wife. She was far more intelligent than he, and she could be quite terrifying when angered.

Most of the time she was submissive, sweet, passionate and everything he'd ever wanted in a wife. He knew without a doubt, she was the reason he was as successful as he was.

But when angered the last place he wanted to be was between her and whatever she was angry at, even if what she was angry at was his own son.

Petunia felt shaken. She had lost herself in mourning the children she felt she was denied, and had failed to notice what her husband and son were doing.

But that would change, she would no longer allow herself or her family to take the anger they felt at all, magical's, who had put them in this situation, out on Harry.

He was after all a child, he had no more choice in the matter than they did. She didn't love him.

He was now a constant reminder of their stolen dreams as well as a reminder of her dead sister, but he wasn't to blame for it either.

No Petunia blamed the man her sister had followed and obeyed.

She blamed the man who placed Harry in their home.

Under these damned wards.

She blamed Albus Dumbledore.


	4. Accident Part One

Chapter Two

At eight, Harry could never remember a time in his life when his Aunt ever said she cared about him.

His Uncle flat out despised him, until last year and Dudley ignored him.

But despite his dead parents and a not so good home life, he figured it could be worse.

He'd briefly experienced worse before he was five when that odd old man had said what he did to Petunia about wards and no babies, and realised in the previous timeline, why the Dursley's all resented him.

Harry knew the old man had done something in an attempt to make him forget, but Harry had a very good memory and that day had been traumatic enough that he had gone over it until he could remember almost everything.

What he remembered most was what that man had said about babies, years later Harry figured out that made the infertility somehow his fault so he wasn't surprised that things got worse.

He was never quite sure if his fifth birthday was the best or worst day of his life.

That day his cousin had shoved him down the stairs.

He'd broken his left arm in two places, his collarbone, his left thigh just above his knee, his ankle's, and four ribs.

He had also punctured a lung and gotten a severe concussion.

When Harry was released from the hospital a two week later.

He came home and for the next three and a half weeks it took him to recover due to his magical healing benefit's due to being a wizard, it was almost as if he and Dudley had switched lives.

When the doctor gave him a clean bill of health, his Aunt called a family meeting. Petunia seldom laid down the law, but when she did that was it.

Most of the time she let Vernon have the illusion that he wore the pant's of the family, but when it came down to it all the male's at Four, Privet Drive, knew Petunia was boss.

That day Petunia laid down the law to all in the Household.

"I feel that there is much we need to discuss about how things have been and how they will be in the future".

"Harry has been subject to too much scorn and bullying from both you, Vernon and Dudley. That will cease".

"There will be no more calling him boy or freak his name is Harry James Potter and you will both use it".

Harry, we haven't been honest with you.

"We were told to keep certain things from you. It, those odd occurrences around you when you are upset, are caused by magic."

Vernon's sputtered, "Pet." was ignored.

Both of your parents were magical. You are also magical. Normally the magical world is separate from the rest of the world.

That is the way we both like it. But sometimes someone is born in the regular world that has the powers of the magical world, your mother was one of those.

"On Halloween the year you turned one, an evil wizard came to your parent's house and killed both your parents and he tried to kill you".

"No one knows why you survived, but this is where our worlds collide".

My sister listened to the recommendations of that odd old man Albus Dumbledore, it got her and your louse of a father killed.

Dumbledore was the one that brought you to us. He was the one to trap us all in this house and he is the one responsible for all the bad that has happened to this family.

I do not like magic, in fact I hate it, but you cannot help what you were born.

You did not ask for your parents to die, nor did you choose to be placed here with us instead of with a family in the magical world.

I'm sure if you were in the magical world such things would be a blessing not a source of shame.

I do not place any blame on you as you were given no say.

From this time forward we shall make the best of it.

But know that Albus Dumbledore is responsible.

He placed you here without asking if we wanted to have you, he made no provision to see that you wouldn't be a burden on us, and he is why your magic makes you different, not normal.

He's the one who said you shouldn't be told.

"I'm sorry Aunt Petunia" said Harry.

"You should be". Vernon muttered, but he subsided after a quelling glance from his wife.

I will not ever love you or treat you the same as Dudley.

"You are however a human being and under my care therefore you can expect decent treatment from everyone living under this roof".

"You will have food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care".

"You will be treated with respect for your person and given appropriate privacy, we expect the same in return".

"In return for our care, you will be expected to do chores and attempt to keep your magic outbursts at a minimum".

"Understood?" said Aunt Petunia

"Yes, Aunt Petunia".

Vernon, over the years I have overlooked the way you have treated Harry but I will no longer do so any disrespectful actions to either Harry or Dudley will be met with a divorce.

There will no longer be disrespectful name calling from you.

If you can't say anything nice say nothing at all. No more spankings bordering on beatings, that teaches nothing!

Except bullying! There are better ways.

You will be allowed to give Dudley and Harry, three hours of chores a week, age appropriate.

Taking care of the yard or washing the car that sort of thing but they must be age appropriate.

Ask yourself if you would expect yourself able to do at their age's it before you assign it.

No telling him or them to do a man's work when they are just boys.

"Dudley, I know that you are big and strong and like to have your own way".

"That is normal".

"However, bullies only get so far in life, and if they are a big enough bully they get sent to prison".

"When you pushed your cousin down the stairs, that was the kind of bully that winds up in prison".

"You got a small taste of what that Harry's life is like this past month".

"Prison is worse. Is that what you want, or do you want to be like your father, a strong, successful, business man? Like You're Dad".

"Then Dudley curb your impulses to bully others, and work on your manners and your schooling."

"Yes, Mum."

"Dudley and Harry, you now know about magic. You also need to know that there are laws forbidding this information being passed to anyone else".

"There are people who can come and wipe the memories from your mind from Wizards and ordinary people".

Albus Dumbledore has done so in front of me twice, and he wouldn't hesitate to do it again, so you cannot say a word to anyone outside this family.

Understood?

"Yes Ma'am."

And so, had begun the second phase of Harry's life with the Dursleys.

Whenever he got punished for accidental magic (not that it was often since the binding was in place) it was Albus Dumbledore's fault because he sent Harry out of the magical world.

When his uncle was denied the promotion, he had wanted and worked hard for it was Dumbledore's fault because they couldn't move to a house better suited to entertain clients.

When all of them wished there could be another baby in the house it was the thrice damned Dumbledore's fault that there wasn't.

All in all, it hadn't been a bad life. Each year he was given additional new chores, the biggest of which strangely enough was tutoring Dudley.

Petunia had seen that Harry was intelligent the way she and Lily were and that Dudley was like Vernon.

Although Dudley hadn't liked being tutored by his cousin he did it rather than incur his Mum's wrath and with some encouragement from Pet.

In the form of his favourite snack.

Dudley liked to tease him and say, "Harry you are awfully girly, seeing as how you can keep house as well as Mum and like shopping".

But aside from once when they were six, Dudley never deliberately dirtied the house after Harry cleaned trying to get him in trouble.

Harry couldn't help but grin when he remembered that day.

Aunt Petunia had looked at Dudley's smirk and Harry's panicked eyes and punished his cousin by making him do that weekend's deep cleaning, four times, until it was done to her satisfaction.

Harry's days had a planned and all ways executed.

He woke at six and got ready for the day then he and his aunt met in the kitchen.

One he'd would make breakfast for the family while the other made lunches, then they would eat.

Harry and Dudley would go to school.

After school Harry would come home while Dudley went to Rugby practice, or to wrestling or to the boxing gym.

At home, Harry would do two loads of washing and the tumble dryer and a touch up cleaning and start dinner before doing his schoolwork.

When Dudley got home at half four in the afternoon he would help him understand his homework and answer questions from his cousin.

Tuesdays and Thursday's, he would also quiz his cousin before running four miles.

On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday he would finish dinner by six so he could eat before his karate classes.

He'd get home by eight forty-five, check Dudley's homework then go to bed by half nine. He was top of their class.

Although some kids at school picked on him for his non-school second-hand clothes, perpetually messy hair, and dorky glasses, Dudley no longer picked on him as he had when they were small.

Saturday mornings he did a thorough cleaning of the house, before going to his karate class for the afternoon. Sunday he would put dinner in the slow cooker as his Aunt made breakfast.

The family went to church then Sunday afternoon was spent studying, reading, or drawing while his relatives watched TV.

Sometimes if they went on an outing instead, Harry would sneak in and play on Dudley's computer.

Summers were spent doing chores for his relatives in the morning.

Then spending the afternoons doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood to earn a little money, or reading, or drawing with materials purchased from his earnings, and occasionally going swimming at the neighbourhood pool.

Most times his Aunt allowed him to come with them when they went on holiday, because she suspected odd, nosy, old Mrs. Figg from Wisteria Walk reported to Dumbledore.

He never got to do everything that his cousin did on those trips.

He'd never been to an amusement park for instance, but he had played in the sand by the sea and he had seen a few "educational" museums.

Despite this, from his perspective going on the trips and being left in a hotel room with a TV and no one to tell him he couldn't watch and maid service, meaning no chores for him, was great.

His Aunt had allowed him to start karate when he was six.

She heard that it helped with discipline Improved physical fitness:

The Leafet Read:

Make no mistake: Martial arts is a great workout! It is a total body workout - your stamina, muscle tone, flexibility, balance and strength will all show signs of improvement.

Enhanced self esteem: By learning these skills and improving your physical condition, you become more comfortable in all situations - whether you're in danger or simply doing a task that takes you beyond your comfort zone. Kids have a new sense of self-confidence, making them virtually "bully proof."

Increased focus and concentration: From the very first day of class, students are challenged to think as much as they act. Learning the forms and movements reinforces working memory. That's why the Mayo Clinic specifically counts the marital arts of karate and taekwondo among the effective therapies for ADD and ADHD.

Increased social skills: Martial arts strongly emphasize self-discipline and self-control as a core component of its teachings. Self-leadership and the ability to deal with others in a mature way is the result.

Stress relief and Respect for values: Honesty, courtesy, integrity, perseverance and excellence are some curriculum areas of focus. These qualities help both children and adults become great leaders.

She also knew that Albus Dumbledore wouldn't be happy if Harry were a trained fighter, so she persuaded Vernon it would be a good thing.

Harry showed a talent for it and his sensei offered to let him take additional classes in exchange for help cleaning the dojo.

Harry had advanced to the point he had his Black belt or Sash, and helped with the white through orange belt classes on Saturday before taking his extra classes.

He had been moved from his room in the cupboard back to the smallest bedroom when he could no longer stand without crouching.

His Aunt had removed the Cot, and replaced the furniture in the smallest bedroom with mission style furniture, a bed, a desk, a chair and a small dresser from IKEA stating to him to look after it else it will not be replaced.

Harry's room had a different feel, a budget feel, than the rest of the house but he liked it that way.

His Aunt had noticed that Harry had an eye for line and color and she had decided when he was eight to reward him for his hard work, his good grades, and most of all for keeping his magic in check once a quarter by taking him shopping with her.

Harry loved those days even if it was "girly thing" as he cousin said it was.

Dudley always had all the affection he wanted, Harry settled for what he could get.

Harry tried to please his Aunt in all things because he could never make up for the price she and Uncle Vernon paid for taking him in.

Aunt Petunia sometimes gifted him with a touch on the head and "well done", he lived for those moments. There were only two people in this world he hated, the evil wizard who killed his parents and Albus Dumbledore.

Harry's ninth Christmas saw him receiving the first non-clothing gift he ever got from his Aunt and Uncle, an art box with pencils, chalks, watercolour's and an assortment of paper.

For years Harry's Christmas and Birthday presents were usually his good clothes.

Petunia supplied him with three shirts, two jumpers and two pairs of trousers for school, one nice outfit for church and social occasions, unmentionables, his karate uniform, a pair of trainers, a nice general-purpose pair of shoes, and winter boots and then he had seven sets of clothes that were in good condition, a winter jacket, pyjamas, dressing gown and swim trunks from the second-hand store all in his size's.

He was sometimes teased about it but he figured it could be worse. He could be forced to wear Dudley's discards Dudley wore three sizes bigger and husky. Harry wore slims.

Harry was touched by the new and different gift but was also confused he had long ago realized that for his relatives he was a means to an end.

You want the house cleaned have Harry do it.

You want Dudley to get decent grades have Harry help him.

Harry was sure this gift was because of what had happened a week before Christmas, but that wouldn't stop him from enjoying it .

Harry had gone shopping with Dudley and Aunt Petunia It had been a snowy and cold day.

The roads were very icy and Dudley had slipped and fallen in front of a lorry that was sliding instead of stopping.

Harry had darted forward and done something, apparition and a shield tearing a corner off the bus off.

First they were in front of the lorry then they weren't they were on the opposite side off the road.

That day had changed many things Harry meditated on his memory and realized he had, in his panic reached through the wall that surrounded his core.

He had known for many years courtesy of the meditation he'd learned in martial arts that everyone had a core energy that he could sense.

But if his uncle was a candle (Muggle) and Dudley and Aunt Petunia were stove burners (Squib), then he was a roaring bonfire (Wizard).

He was however cut off from it by a magical barrier.

He assumed the barrier was the bind on his magic Dumbledore had placed.

Harry started to deliberately try to touch his core while he meditated.

Petunia had been very contemplative Harry's ninth Christmas.

She had always hated magic because she couldn't do it and she had only seen it do harm or create embarrassment. Magic had taken away many of her dreams, but she now had seen magic do good.

Her despised nephew had used something she hated to save something she loved.

Marge was with them that Christmas but instead of letting her degrade Harry as she usually did Vernon stopped her, by offering a distraction's instead when these insults happened.

"Marge, I was wanting your opinion. Pet. and I aren't sure of what we should do we love this house and it's just the left size for us but it lacks sufficient room for the entertaining that would help me advance at Gunning's. What would you do?"

Harry ignored Marge's slightly drunken pontificating and helped Aunt Petunia with clearing the table and serving dessert.

A few days later when Marge left he spoke to his Uncle.

"Uncle Vernon have you and Aunt Petunia ever thought of adding on a reception room? You could use it for entertaining, and that way we wouldn't leave Privet Drive but you could still get ahead."

"A reception room huh? What brings this on?" Vernon asked suspiciously.

"Well I thought about your question to Marge on Christmas Day, and before break started I heard Shelly at school talking about how her parents had built on a reception room and how much she was looking forward to their Christmas party.

And well it occurred to me maybe you and Aunt Petunia could do that."

Vernon looked at his nephew. As much as he hated to admit it, the boy wasn't a terrible person. He wasn't even much of a burden anymore.

He was polite, he did his chores without being reminded, he never asked for more than he was given, and he always was thankful for what he got.

He found he could no longer hate him. He still didn't like him, but he didn't hate him.

When Harry was almost eleven his Uncle finally got the promotion to Vice President of Marketing in Britain and Europe, at Grunnings.

The reception room they added to the house served its purpose.

The Dursleys celebrated with a trip.

They left Harry with Mrs. Figg that trip because they were going to Disney, Florida and Vernon didn't want the expense of taking Harry, they would be back before his birthday.

It was a week before his birthday and he was helping Mrs. Figg give one of her cats a bath when the mail arrived.

To his surprise Mrs. Figg handed him a parchment envelope with emerald writing and a funny wax seal. Harry opened it.

When Harry saw the name Albus Dumbledore he had to resist the urge to shred it. He read through it and found what his Aunt told him to expect.

He decided to test his Aunt's theory that Mrs. Figg was a Dumbledore plant. "What a bunch of nonsense!" And he crumpled the letter and made to throw it away.

Mrs. Figg's eyes widened and she stopped him. "NO! You mustn't!"

"But it's nonsense! We await your owl? Foolishness."

"Harry I assure you, Hogwarts is quite real and you are a wizard!"

"Do you work for him, Mrs. Figg?"

Her eye widened still further when she realized what she had given away.

"Do you mean He-who-Must-Not-be-Named?"

Harry's eye roll said it all.

"You mean Albus Dumbledore?"

Harry's smirk and slight nod was her answer.

She sighed Albus wouldn't like this, but she wouldn't lie to the boy since it was obvious he already knew.

"Yes." she said timidly.

"I could forward your response through the floo."

"Fine I'll think about it."

The day his relatives returned from Paris, Harry showed Aunt Petunia his letter.

"So, do I, or don't I?"

"If you don't they will just come and get you. We are rather powerless against them."

"Fine I'll go, but I swear to you Aunt Petunia, I won't dance to their tune. I'll march to my own drum. I am going to be my own man"

"Tell them you need someone to guide you to get your supplies. I would take you but I don't remember exactly how to get there.

Also mention we won't pay for your things. I'm sure your parents left something for you."

"Yes ma'am."

"You're a good boy, Harry."

Petunia Dursley inwardly smiled.

Her revenge on Albus Dumbledore was going to be so sweet.

Years ago, she had been shaken horribly when she found out there would be no more children and had skirted catatonic behaviour for months and part of her had never stopped asking why?

What did Dumbledore have to gain by putting Harry in their home?

Especially since he undoubtably knew of the bad blood between herself and Lily.

While she was at the hospital with Harry it dawned on her.

Harry's father had been a selfish spoiled brat and a lord, which meant power.

She didn't know anything of the Magical world and wouldn't spoil Harry, since she hated his father and didn't get along with his mother.

Harry would be ignorant at best and possibly abused and malleable and if he was treated poorly.

Dumbledore would make his life in the magical world heavenly by comparison and Harry would do anything the old fart wanted in gratitude.

If Harry grew up naïve, and downtrodden it was to Dumbledore's advantage, well she never agreed to be part of his scheme, she was paying a heavy price for his manipulations too.

She would see to it Dumbledore was denied what he sought, just as he had dared deny her dreams of a daughter and more sons and success for Vernon.

Petunia had carefully considered what Harry would need to be like, she had a fine line to walk as well it wouldn't do for Dumbledore to get wind of this nor would it do for her to put her desire for revenge ahead of Dudley and Vernon.

The hours at the hospital had given her time to plan.

First, she had put a stop to the almost criminal behaviour of her husband and son towards Harry.

The family meeting had been followed by a long private chat with Vernon to explain things.

Training them, especially Harry, to have fine manners well that took a while, but her own experience were enough.

There was the household managing she taught him as part of his chores, and the accounting class she had him take in school.

Getting Harry training to be a warrior, that had taken much persuading. Harry's light almost feminine build had helped with that.

She had persuaded Vernon that since the boy had enemies in the magical world he needed to be able to defend himself.

But she allowed that the traditional English Defense of boxing that so suited Dudley's well-built physique but wouldn't suit Harry's.

Vernon had agreed that that foreign namby-pamby, karate probably would suit the boy better.

Petunia had selected the deadliest one available.

Petunia had forbidden the boy, TV, and computers but had encouraged him to read history and political philosophy.

She had also seen to it he learned strategy games.

When she took him and Dudley to the park Dudley played on the playground while Harry learned chess from the acknowledged chess master of the park.

He also was taught bridge by her bridge club, and his sensei taught him a few games and exercise's that can be done alone if he wished.

She wanted Harry to be sly and sneaky, so on the sly she allowed him to play the computer games that taught planning and conservation of resources.

It wasn't hard just take Dudley's usual games, and replace them with the ones she wanted him to play on Sundays when the rest of the family was going out.

When Harry was nine she allowed herself to seemingly slip occasionally in her manipulating of him and she and was more transparent in her manipulation of Dudley and Vernon.

As result, she watched him pick it up as well. Harry's reaction to his letter was everything she could have hoped.

She had his loyalty and all it had cost her was what she owed Harry as a blood relative anyway.

The occasional crumb's of affection together with decent treatment on life basics was a cheap price to pay for her revenge.


	5. Accident Part Two

Chapter Three

Eleven-year-old Harry Potter stared out the car window as his cousin Dudley Dursley played with an action figure a Transformer, beside him. In the front of the car his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon argued about whether the map was right or not.

They were so busy looking and arguing over where they were they didn't stop at a red light, at the crossroad and Harry let his mind wander into daydreams of the flying motorbike he had seen in his dreams.

As the car started forwarded, loads of screeches from car trying to slow down.

Harry heard a loud scream from Aunt Petunia, and then a sickening crash from drivers' side if the car and multiple impacts on the car.

Harry felt his body being thrown from the car, then saw the car spinning around and around, like one of Dudley's old spinning tops. His lower left leg had lost all feeling since he had been thrown from the car, but Harry didn't care all that much.

He wondered, fleetingly, if he would die on the side of the road, like those people on the telly a few weeks ago. His tiny body hit the pavement, hard, and all the breath was knocked out of him.

He dragged himself to the curb, and sat there, waiting for something to happen.

Then, he remembered that he couldn't feel his left leg, but when he looked down, all he saw was a bloody stump that ended left above where his knee should be. People were starting to get out of their cars, and run towards the wreckage, running towards Harry, but not getting too close.

Harry wondered why it didn't hurt, but decided that he didn't care either way. His leg was gone, weather it hurt or not.

Then, he heard a a loud siren, and saw a ambulance's rush towards the crash site.

One of the Paramedics walked towards Harry, pushing a gurney, and she spoke softly to Harry, while picking Harry up, and placing him in the gurney. Harry stared at his stump, watching the blood flow from it, on to the clean whiteness of the sheets.

Harry apologized to the nice emergency man, who laughed slightly, and told him not to worry, they had many more, and left now they needed to get him better. The emergency man then stuck a needle in Harry arm, which hurt a little, and made Harry say, "Ow."

The Paramedic laughed again, and then asked Harry lots of questions about where he lived, what his name, and what did he remember. Harry answered them all, then said he was very tried, and asked if he could go to sleep.

The emergency man put Harry in the ambulance, and told him that, no he could not sleep yet, but he could soon.

Harry nodded, and then his leg started to hurt. He told the emergency man, who was putting blood on a pole, and into the needle on Harry's arm. The emergency man said it was going to hurt, but not to worry.

Harry told the emergency man that he wasn't worried, just in pain. The ambulance started moving, the sirens going. They went to the hospital in silence. Harry started hurting more, but didn't say anything. They got to the hospital, and the Paramedic wheeled Harry into the emergency room.

All of a sudden, lots of people were around Harry, poking and prodding, taking his blood pressure, and telling him not to worry.

Harry felt very tired then, so he closed his eyes, and went to sleep. He dreamed of flying above hundreds of spinning tops, but then the spinning tops were legs, lots of legs.

After that, they became a green beam of light, and then a high-pitched voice was yelling some weird words, and the kind lady was lying on the floor, dead.

Then there was nothing, and Harry slept on, unaware of anything for hours, then days. He slept through a surgery, and lots of doctor visiting, and the daily visits from the Paramedic.

He slept through a crying man, old beyond his years, walking in to his room, and speaking in a soft voice, making promises he could never keep.

All this he slept through, never dreaming a thing.


End file.
